French regional elections, 2004
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Regional elections were held in France on March 21 and March 28, 2004. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 22 régions, which, though they don't have legislative autonomy, manage sizeable budgets. The results were a triumph for the parties of the left, led by the French Socialist Party (PS) in alliance with minor parties including the French Communist Party (PCF), the Left Radical Party (PRG) and the Greens (Les Verts). The left has usually fared moderately well in regional elections, but this was their best result since the regional system was introduced.
The left won control of 20 of the 22 regions of metropolitan France, defeating the parties of the mainstream right, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and the Union for French Democracy (UDF), and the extreme right National Front (FN). The results are seen as a major setback for President Jacques Chirac and (then) Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
Results by region
The first round was held on March 21. Since no candidate gained a majority in any region, a second round was held on March 28, in which only candidates who polled more than 10% in the first round were eligible to run (except in Corsica, where the threshold is 5%). Votes for minor parties have been consolidated. Incumbents are shown with an asterisk.
Alsace
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Bigot | PS-Verts | 133,038 | 20.1 | 236,689 | 34.4 |
| Patrick Binder | FN | 122,860 | 18.6 | 151,186 | 22.0 |
| Adrien Zeller * | UMP-UDF | 225,193 | 34.1 | 299,351 | 43.6 |
| Others | - | 180,016 | 27.2 | - | - |
| Total | - | 661,107 | - | 687,226 | - |
Conservative Alsace is one of only two regions retained by the right.
Aquitaine
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| François Bayrou | UDF | 215,796 | 16.1 | - | - |
| Jacques Colombier | FN | 153,859 | 11.4 | 164,047 | 11.7 |
| Xavier Darcos | UMP | 247,232 | 18.4 | 469,382 | 33.5 |
| Alain Rousset * | PS-Verts | 516,392 | 38.4 | 769,583 | 54.8 |
| Others | - | 210,635 | 15.7 | - | - |
| Total | - | 1,343,904 | - | 1,403,012 | - |
Aquitaine is a traditional stronghold of the left.
Auvergne
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre-Joël Bonté | PS | 167,451 | 28.2 | 332,958 | 52.6 |
| Louis de Condé | FN | 56,889 | 9.6 | - | - |
| Valéry Giscard d'Estaing * | UDF-UMP | 215,903 | 36.4 | 299,438 | 47.3 |
| Others | - | 153,155 | 25.8 | - | - |
| Total | - | 593,398 | - | 632,386 | - |
The former President of France, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, was seeking a fourth term as President of Auvergne.
Basse-Normandie
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippe Duron | PS-PCF | 143,095 | 23.9 | 297,291 | 46.2 |
| René Garrec * | UDF-UMP | 172,050 | 28.7 | 257,297 | 40.0 |
| Fernand Le Rachinel | FN | 83,742 | 14.0 | 88,618 | 13.8 |
| Others | - | 199,659 | 33.3 | - | - |
| Total | - | 598,546 | - | 643,206 | - |
The left have never before won control of Lower Normandy
Bourgogne
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Jaboulet-Vercherre | FN | 105,270 | 15.8 | 108,124 | 15.4 |
| François Patriat | PS-PCF-Verts | 240,451 | 36.0 | 369,322 | 52.5 |
| Jean-Pierre Soisson * | UMP-UDF | 145,426 | 21.8 | 226,128 | 32.1 |
| Others | - | 176,626 | 26.4 | - | - |
| Total | - | 667,773 | - | 703,574 | - |
Burgundy returns to its usual left-wing loyalty. It is suspected that incumbent Jean-Pierre Soisson was punished for his coalition with the Front National.
Bretagne
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josselin de Rohan * | UMP-UDF | 347,221 | 38.5 | 591,454 | 41.3 |
| Jean-Yves Le Drian | PS | 521,988 | 38.5 | 839,157 | 58.7 |
| Brigitte Neveux | FN | 114,883 | 8.5 | - | - |
| Others | - | 402,368 | 29.7 | - | - |
| Total | - | 1,356,460 | - | 1,430,611 | - |
Normally conservative Brittany is captured by the left.
Centre
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacqueline Gourault | UDF | 135,779 | 13.7 | - | - |
| Michel Sapin | PS | 378,235 | 38.1 | 517,987 | 49.1 |
| Jean Verdon | FN | 173,651 | 17.5 | 173,460 | 16.5 |
| Serge Vinçon | UMP | 205,262 | 20.7 | 362,382 | 34.4 |
| Others | - | 98,433 | 9.9 | - | - |
| Total | - | 991,360 | - | 1,053,829 | - |
The left retains control of this region. Sapin replaces the retiring incumbent Alain Rafesthain.
Champagne-Ardenne
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean-Paul Bachy | PS | 141,189 | 27.9 | 228,622 | 41.9 |
| Charles de Courson | UDF | 56,105 | 11.1 | - | - |
| Jean-Claude Étienne * | UMP | 134,602 | 26.7 | 217,322 | 39.8 |
| Bruno Subtil | FN | 99,576 | 19.7 | 99,766 | 18.3 |
| Others | - | 129,519 | 25.6 | - | - |
| Total | - | 504,886 | - | 545,710 | - |
The left captures usually conservative Champagne-Ardenne.
Corse
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camille de Rocca-Serra | UMP | 20,155 | 14.6 | 35,627 | 25.0 |
| Dominique Bucchini | - | 9,147 | 6.6 | 11,808 | 8.3 |
| Paul Giacobbi | - | 14,477 | 10.5 | 21,562 | 15.2 |
| Olivier Martinelli | FN | 6,181 | 4.5 | - | - |
| Simon Renucci | - | 8,018 | 5.8 | 11,025 | 7.7 |
| José Rossi * | - | 8,804 | 6.4 | 11,092 | 07.8 |
| Émile Zuccarelli | PRG-PS | 17,906 | 13.0 | 26,434 | 18.6 |
| Others | - | 53,501 | 38.7 | - | - |
| Total | - | 138,189 | - | 142,200 | - |
Conservative Corsica is the right's only success apart from Alsace.
Franche-Comté
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Forni | PS | 146,555 | 31.3 | 240,177 | 46.7 |
| Jean-François Humbert * | UMP | 116,354 | 24.8 | 185,757 | 36.1 |
| Sophie Montel | FN | 87,498 | 18.7 | 88,134 | 17.1 |
| Others | - | 118,097 | 25.2 | - | - |
| Total | - | 468,504 | - | 514,068 | - |
The left retakes Franche-Comté.
Haute-Normandie
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominique Chaboche | FN | 115,183 | 15.9 | 113,013 | 14.6 |
| Alain Le Vern * | PS | 281,314 | 38.9 | 408,163 | 52.7 |
| Antoine Rufenacht | UMP | 153,089 | 21.1 | 253,480 | 32.7 |
| Others | - | 174,265 | 24.1 | - | - |
| Total | - | 723,851 | - | 774,656 | - |
The left retains its traditional hold on Upper Normandy.
Île-de-France
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean-François Copé | UMP | 908,275 | 24.8 | 1,593,559 | 40.7 |
| Jean-Paul Huchon * | PS-Verts-PRG | 1,170,444 | 31.9 | 1,922,546 | 49.1 |
| Marine Le Pen | FN | 448,987 | 12.3 | 395,481 | 10.1 |
| André Santini | UDF | 590,543 | 16.1 | - | - |
| Others | - | 545,116 | 14.9 | - | - |
| Total | - | 3,663,365 | - | 3,991,586 | - |
The left retains control of Île-de-France, the region surrounding Paris and gets a comfortable majority. Huchon previously could not rely on a majority.
Languedoc-Roussillon
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Blanc * | UMP | 258,287 | 24.3 | 373,844 | 33.1 |
| George Frèche | PS-Verts-PCF | 373,214 | 36.3 | 577,798 | 51.2 |
| Alain Jamet | FN | 183,031 | 17.2 | 177,568 | 15.7 |
| Others | - | 251,458 | 23.6 | - | - |
| Total | - | 1,065,990 | - | 1,129,210 | - |
The left re-establishes its usual dominance of Languedoc-Roussillon.
Limousin
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymond Archer | UMP | 79,531 | 23.3 | 132,044 | 38.0 |
| Jean-Paul Denanot | PS-PRG-PCF | 140,217 | 41.1 | 215,612 | 62.0 |
| Patricia Gibeau | FN | 31,736 | 9.3 | - | - |
| Others | - | 89,362 | 26.2 | - | - |
| Total | - | 340,846 | - | 347,656 | - |
The left retains control of Limousin, with Denanot succeeding the retiring incumbent Robert Savy.
Lorraine
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thierry Gourlot | FN | 152,660 | 17.6 | 162,971 | 17.3 |
| Nathalie Griesbeck | UDF | 75,609 | 8.7 | - | - |
| Gérard Longuet * | UMP | 192,157 | 22.1 | 322,446 | 34.2 |
| Jean-Pierre Masseret | PS-PCF-Verts | 253,626 | 29.2 | 457,350 | 48.5 |
| Others | - | 194,040 | 22.3 | - | - |
| Total | - | 868,092 | - | 942,767 | - |
The left recaptures Lorraine.
Midi-Pyrénées
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Aliot | FN | 141,599 | 11.8 | 149,409 | 12.1 |
| Jacques Godfrain | UMP | 228,449 | 19.0 | 376,872 | 30.4 |
| Martin Malvy * | PS-PC-PRG | 497,713 | 41.4 | 712,176 | 57.5 |
| Michel Valdiguie | - | 122,030 | 10.1 | - | - |
| Others | - | 212,695 | 17.7 | - | - |
| Total | - | 1,202,486 | - | 1,238,457 | - |
The left retain its traditional dominance of Midi-Pyrénées.
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alain Bocquet | PCF | 173,200 | 10.7 | - | - |
| Jean-Paul Delevoye | UMP | 280,102 | 17.3 | 484,711 | 28.5 |
| Carl Lang | FN | 290,908 | 17.9 | 336,444 | 19.7 |
| Daniel Percheron * | PS-PRG | 484,798 | 29.9 | 881,948 | 51.8 |
| Others | - | 392,728 | 24.2 | - | - |
| Total | - | 1,621,736 | - | 1,703,103 | - |
Nord-Pas-de-Calais is also a stronghold of the left.
Pays de la Loire
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean Arthuis | UDF | 169,251 | 12.1 | - | - |
| Jacques Auxiette | PS-Verts-PCF-PRG | 518,466 | 37.2 | 762,497 | 52.3 |
| François Fillon | UMP | 450,552 | 32.3 | 693,913 | 47.6 |
| Samuel Maréchal | FN | 135,391 | 9.7 | - | - |
| Others | - | 120,041 | 8.6 | - | - |
| Total | - | 1,393,701 | - | 1,456,410 | - |
The right loses the normally conservative Pays de la Loire region. Fillon was the candidate of the right in succession to the retiring Jean-Luc Harousseau.
Picardie
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Gewerc | PS-Verts-PRG | 210,328 | 27.4 | 379,075 | 45.4 |
| Maxime Gremetz | PCF | 83,282 | 10.9 | - | - |
| Michel Guiniot | FN | 175,940 | 22.9 | 155,851 | 18.7 |
| Gilles de Robien | UDF-UMP | 247,425 | 32.3 | 300,140 | 35.9 |
| Others | - | 49,995 | 6.5 | - | - |
| Total | - | 766,970 | - | 835,066 | - |
The left captures the Picardie region following the retirement of incumbent Charles Baur.
Poitou-Charentes
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean-Romée Charbonneau | FN | 79,484 | 10.5 | 70,896 | 8.7 |
| Élisabeth Morin * | UMP-UDF | 249,373 | 32.9 | 294,955 | 36.2 |
| Ségolène Royal | PS | 350,466 | 46.3 | 448,949 | 55.1 |
| Others | - | 77,866 | 10.3 | - | - |
| Total | - | 757,189 | - | 814,800 | - |
Poitou-Charente, a traditional stronghold of the right and home region of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, falls to the left.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guy Macary | FN | 415,181 | 22.9 | 409,786 | 21.0 |
| Renaud Muselier | UMP-UDF | 472,035 | 26.1 | 659,592 | 33.8 |
| Michel Vauzelle * | PS-PCF-Verts-PRG | 633,268 | 35.0 | 881,350 | 45.2 |
| Others | - | 288,443 | 15.9 | - | - |
| Total | - | 1,808,927 | - | 1,950,728 | - |
The left retains control of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, who intended to run in this region, was disqualified because he did not fulfill the legal conditions: he neither lived there, nor was registered as a taxpayer there.
Rhône-Alpes
| Candidate | Party | First round | % | Second round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne-Marie Comparini * | UDF-UMP | 667,856 | 31.2 | 890,433 | 38.2 |
| Bruno Gollnisch | FN | 389,565 | 18.2 | 355,861 | 15.3 |
| Gérard Leras | Verts | 215,783 | 10.1 | - | - |
| Jean-Jack Queyranne | PS-PCF-PRG | 688,718 | 32.2 | 1,083,120 | 46.5 |
| Others | - | 177,444 | 8.3 | - | - |
| Total | - | 2,139,366 | - | 2,329,414 | - |
The left captures the usually conservative Rhône-Alpes region.